1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a tire grinding and buffing apparatus, and more particularly, to a tire grinding machine having two pairs of grinding wheels in combination with a dust removal system. Specifically, the present invention relates to a tire grinding apparatus having two pairs of grinding wheels with the wheels of the pairs rotating in opposite directions while a dust collection system directs compressed air against the tire and then vacuums the dust away from the tire between the grinding wheels.
2. Background Information
Treating the outer surface of a tire by grinding or buffing is desired for various reasons in a tire manufacturing process. For instance, one of the final steps in the tire manufacturing process is to balance the tire by grinding rubber away from appropriate portions of the tire tread or shoulder. This removal allows the tire to be dynamically balanced. Buffing the tire surface may also be desirable in certain situations to provide a pleasing appearance to the tire to increase its aesthetics while on the showroom floor.
These grinding and buffing processes create large quantities of rubber dust. A substantial amount of this dust remains on the tire trapped in the tread grooves and in the sipes. The dust must be washed off the tire or shipped with the tire. The tire appears to be dirty when the dust is not removed and the dust falls onto the floor of the manufacturing facility. Dust also comes off on one's hands when the tire is handled or falls off onto the showroom floor during display. It is thus desired in the art to provide a dust removal system that acts in cooperation with a grinding apparatus to remove a substantial amount of the dust from the tire and especially from within the treads and sipes of the tire. In the prior art, brushes and vacuum systems have been used with some degree of success but room for improvement remains.
Tire grinders known in the art typically include a grinder wheel that quickly rotates against the outer surface of the tire while the tire rotates relatively slowly throughout a full rotation. When a buffing operation is desired after the grinding operation, the tire must be transferred to another station where the tire is buffed. These operations result in the creation of tire dust at two locations in the tire manufacturing facility. Buffing is desired when the grinding operation results in a relatively rough outer surface. It is thus desired in the art to provide an improved grinding apparatus that creates an improved tire surface as a result of the grinding process. It is also desired to provide an apparatus that grinds, buffs, and removes dust at a single station.